AI for the rich and famous!!
- Thread starter S.R.R.
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Rangenerd
Well-known member
The differance between having a uniform lot of calves or your herd that has a little bit of everything is about $.05 per lb.
As for buying the calf at the auction and raising him for your herd bull, how much is it going to cost you to raise him out, and keep him. I think that when you put it on paper you are going to find that $30 per head to get your cows bred to some high powered bulls is pretty cheap. Plus you know for sure what you are going to get.
You can get nice bulls at the local auction but you need to know if they are buying a calf from a good herd that just wasn't cut, or if it is just a scrub that was someone elses problem.
As for buying the calf at the auction and raising him for your herd bull, how much is it going to cost you to raise him out, and keep him. I think that when you put it on paper you are going to find that $30 per head to get your cows bred to some high powered bulls is pretty cheap. Plus you know for sure what you are going to get.
You can get nice bulls at the local auction but you need to know if they are buying a calf from a good herd that just wasn't cut, or if it is just a scrub that was someone elses problem.
There is maybe a million different degrees as to what is defined as a "good" bull.
One of the main reasons that AI is popular is that those bulls are "Proven". You can walk through a pasture and see the calves off the AI bulls.
I PROMISE you I can breed more cows in a day than your "good" bull can too! ;-)
From what I have seen, the commercial guys who AI every year are better managers and have a better handle on their programs.
Just "GETTING THE JOBE DONE" is not one of their priorities.
Wewild":35w6ytm9 said:
The calve is alive and healthy, or they do not get paid. You set up contracts. Mine are they vacinate following the Bovishield Gold program at 3 months and prior to weaning. I ask that they do not creep feed. The rachers are screend befor hand by the company(Ultimate Genetics) prior to being a recip herd.
Wewild":v4k4vqdq said:
Perhaps you shouldn't take things so personally (now I am talking to you). I simply asked how many head made a large cow-calf operation and gave SRR some friendly advice about how to avoid all the AI BS.
Wewild":3bwcoser said:
1-That's exactly what I meant about the bull. ;-)
2-It all depends on where your goals lie. The time involved wouldn't make it feasible for some.
Most of the bigger commercial guys that AI that I know are selling bred and virgin heifers for replacements. They receive quite a few more dollars than the feeder market brings on average.
There's a guy about 20 miles from me that synchs and breeds over 300 heifers every year. People fight for his commercial replacements.
Dairy cows wouldn't be where they are today without AI for sure.
I don't believe it's for the rich and famous or the purbred breeders only. More and more commercial operations are using it. With the ability to synch cattle for timed breeding, it's easier than ever. There are several benefits, if you are willing to go the extra mile to make it work. Some articles on using AI in a commercial herd:
From CattleToday:
"The big question, remains though; "Can these benefits justify the costs of AI?" Recent studies conducted by a number of university and industry researchers suggest that they can, depending on the individual producer's situation. It is also noteworthy that as the beef industry becomes increasingly product and consumer oriented and the national animal identification system is implemented, genetic background will take on greater importance. This may be one of the greatest driving forces for increased use of AI. Also, customers "downstream" from the cow-calf sector (feedyards, packers, etc.) may become familiar with the top AI sires and place added value on their calves."
http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2006/May/CT478.shtml
From University of MN, Grand Rapids.
"The use of artificial insemination (AI) is one of the most effective methods to enhance the profitability of most beef cattle production systems."
http://www.extension.umn.edu/Beef/compo ... bccd03.pdf
"If pregnancy rate was held constant, ESAI's cost per pregnancy exceeded natural service, especially for smaller herds. But if the costs were adjusted for the expected increase in calf weaning weight resulting from ESAI, cost of pregnancy was lower to produce a 500-lb. equivalent weaned calf with ESAI."
http://americancowman.com/genetics/econ ... emination/
"More and more beef producers are using artifical insemination (AI) sires in order to increase profit."
http://www.farm-mgmt.wsu.edu/PDF-docs/beef/eb1968e.pdf
"But it's the long-term issues that really start to make the case for AI. Those include the opportunity for rapid and accurate genetic improvement. "The main reason to AI is for genetic improvement," DeGroff says. "A producer has more control over what actually ends up in the calf crop. The accuracy of EPDs is better on semen than bulls. And producers can afford semen that came from a bull they couldn't afford to own."
http://www.beefquality.biz/020606.htm
From CattleToday:
"The big question, remains though; "Can these benefits justify the costs of AI?" Recent studies conducted by a number of university and industry researchers suggest that they can, depending on the individual producer's situation. It is also noteworthy that as the beef industry becomes increasingly product and consumer oriented and the national animal identification system is implemented, genetic background will take on greater importance. This may be one of the greatest driving forces for increased use of AI. Also, customers "downstream" from the cow-calf sector (feedyards, packers, etc.) may become familiar with the top AI sires and place added value on their calves."
http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2006/May/CT478.shtml
From University of MN, Grand Rapids.
"The use of artificial insemination (AI) is one of the most effective methods to enhance the profitability of most beef cattle production systems."
http://www.extension.umn.edu/Beef/compo ... bccd03.pdf
"If pregnancy rate was held constant, ESAI's cost per pregnancy exceeded natural service, especially for smaller herds. But if the costs were adjusted for the expected increase in calf weaning weight resulting from ESAI, cost of pregnancy was lower to produce a 500-lb. equivalent weaned calf with ESAI."
http://americancowman.com/genetics/econ ... emination/
"More and more beef producers are using artifical insemination (AI) sires in order to increase profit."
http://www.farm-mgmt.wsu.edu/PDF-docs/beef/eb1968e.pdf
"But it's the long-term issues that really start to make the case for AI. Those include the opportunity for rapid and accurate genetic improvement. "The main reason to AI is for genetic improvement," DeGroff says. "A producer has more control over what actually ends up in the calf crop. The accuracy of EPDs is better on semen than bulls. And producers can afford semen that came from a bull they couldn't afford to own."
http://www.beefquality.biz/020606.htm
